The Assassin's Sonnet
by Zenkx
Summary: 1st Part of my Assassin's Creed/ Mass Effect Crossover series. Thane is given a mission, with some complications... (Thane x OC) Rated M due to some language, violence and sexual implications. XD
1. Introduction

AUTHORESS' NOTES:

And thus all hope is dashed.

I can't buy an Xbox yet. T_T

Yeah, I know. With the Xbox One coming out, the 360 is probably going to go on sale (or, heaven forbid, get wiped out). So by December (which is when me and my sister plan on buying one), it'll be cheaper than its current price.

But I wanted to play Mass Effect so bad! T_T

Patience… patience… ~_~"

Anyway, just because I can't play the game yet, doesn't mean I make fanfictions out of it right? So yeah, I made this one after a nagging desire to write a ThanexOC.

Mass Effect and its characters are the intellectual property of BioWare.


	2. Chapter 1

Something is wrong. He could sense it.

Perhaps it's because of the fact that his target was already dead and bleeding in front of him, before he could even get to him.

The drell assassin known as Thane Krios bent down and looked over the dead human, pale of death and bleeding on a plush, fur carpet. The dead man's name was Rick Crooks, a fitting name for someone who was involved in acquiring, selling and using red sand. An employer had contacted him to kill this man because his influenced caused the arrest of his employer's son, which Crooks had used as his courier.

Thane moved the man's head, turning it, only to see the marks of a thin knife that cut through the man's throat, and severing the spine cord on his neck. The death was slow, true, but the victim wouldn't have been in pain, since he would probably been paralyzed.

There was a scream behind him, and he turned to see an asari in blue robes... probably the human's companion. She screamed hysterically at Thane, and he realized that the way he was bend over the man, made it look like HE killed Crooks.

He rushed at the asari, who tried to run, but his speed was too much. He aimed a well-placed karate chop on her head, and then snapped her neck. The asari fell to the floor silently. It was unavoidable. If he had let her live, she would have described him to C-Sec. He bent over her and uttered a small prayer, "Kalahira, take this woman into your arms, and bring her to the sea."

He straightened, and started walking, before jumping up and heading to the ventilation system. This is how he entered, and this is how he would leave. Silently. With no trace or sound. As he normally works.

As he got out of the building, Thane took in slow, shallow breaths. His lungs were having difficult time getting oxygen as he entered the ventilation shafts, and he needed some time to recover. He had a sickness called, Kepral's Syndrome, where his body was having a hard time getting oxygen due to deterioration of his lung tissue. He took in a deep breath, but he noticed something.

The scent of flowers came to him, and he found it strange. Omega had different scents, but nothing this... pleasant. The smell of sweat, blood and trash is often the kind of scents he encountered. But nothing this... feminine.

He inhaled again, the scent lingering from his left. He turned his head, seeing other species walk past, but soon his gaze met with unfamiliar eyes.

A human stood among the crowd, watching him, and from the curves that showed off under a strange long cloak, he noticed she was female. She was watching him through her hood, her lips smiling a bit, her eyes hidden underneath. He looked down her white and red cloak, the strange gauntlet on her arm, her black body suit, and her leather black boots. And his gaze stopped at what looked like lace cuffs... dotted with blood.

He raised his gaze to the face, which smiled again. But before he could move towards her, a krogan passed by in front of her, and she vanished. He was familiar with the movement, he had done it so many times. The woman would be somewhere in the shadows, watching, moving, or most probably, had already left.

He looked around frantically, using his sharp eyes to find her again. But even with sniper-trained sharp vision, he couldn't find her. He growled at himself, before pulling his leather collar up, and walking away.


	3. Chapter 2

"I have an assignment for you."

The voice was deep. Distorted. Like they didn't want to know who they were. Thane pressed a finger to his ear to receive a message. "I am here."

"Your new contract has arrived." Said the voice, "Find a turian name Tarloc Irigan and kill him. Payment will be sent once proof of the target has been confirmed."

"What proof do you need?" Thane said, checking his handgun before holstering it on his hip.

"The target is a C-Sec agent, but he has a certain 'business' in Omega that he often comes here under false pretenses that his 'family' is here." The voice replied, "His death will be well reported due to his connection to the law. That is enough proof for the client."

"Understood." He picked up his sniper rifle and checked it as well, before holstering it on his back."What reason does he have to die?"

"It is classified." The voice said, and Thane blinked. He wasn't surprised. Most of his employers only wanted someone dead. They did not care if they are innocent or not. If they were wronged, they deserved justice. Thane was their way to get that justice, which is perfect since nobody in the galaxy had ever been able to catch him.

"Warning: another assassin was hired to kill your target. Employer unknown."

This time, Thane was really surprised. "Another assassin?"

"Yes. Finish to job quickly, before the other assassin gets to him. Recent reports have confirmed the target is at Kenzo District, dealing out shipments of red sand. Agent out." And the voice cut off.

Thane headed out of the room he had rented and headed for the transit to get to the Kenzo District, all the while thinking of the other assassin who has been hired. Perhaps it was the woman in a hood that he had seen before. He will find out soon.

The warehouse was dimly lit, perfect for those dealing with red sand. Thane climbed up the roof silently, his feet barely making noises. Below him, he began to hear voices.

"So... you're the buyer?" A flanging voice said, and Thane immediately thought it was the target, Tarloc.

"Yes." A low, feminine voice said, "I have come for my shipment. Pardon the delay, but I had some other commitments to attend to."

Thane neared a broken glass window on the roof, and he slid carefully, muttering a silent curse as a piece of glass scratched his arm. He lowered himself to a beam, and looked over his wound. It was bleeding, but not too badly. He looked down, blinking hard at the sight.

The turian, his target Tarloc was talking to the white-cloaked woman he had seen, her hood hiding her features again. She seemed to be smiling at the turian, as she opened up the OmniTool on her right arm. "I will be transferring the funds once I get my shipment."

"Very well." The turian said, and he walked over a box, and opened it, showing off the drugs for her to see, "These were collected from the Citadel, but I was able to smuggle them here. They're pretty top grade... rich people used them." He chuckled, "The price increased by twenty percent if you don't mind."

"Of course not." The woman said, "I'll send you the money now."

The turian nodded, and turned his back to her to repackage the drugs. But as soon as he turned, the woman came close and, from the angle of his perch, embraced him. The turian let out rasping groan and fell to the floor, a pool of his own blood forming around him. The woman stepped back and turned her eyes to where he was perched. "I know you're there... drell assassin."

Thane blinked, and scowled. So the woman knew him. "I admire your work. You are efficient and smart to use the target's weakness for money and connection with red sand. But how did you know I was here?"

"The scent of blood. It's a scent people like us could smell for miles." The woman was walking now, heading towards him. He withdrew the gun at his hip, but the woman raised a hand. "Peace. I mean you no harm, fellow assassin. Come down from your perch. I will not hurt you."

Thane hesitated, but he holstered his gun again, and jumped down. As he stood, he kept his other hand on the holster of his gun, and the hooded assassin smirked.

"You killed my target." Thane started, and the female nodded, "Yes. I know he was your target, although my reasons for assassinating him are entirely different." She kicked the corpse so that it lay on his back. She took something on her pocket, which lengthened and turned into a sword. She slashed at the turian's armor, and revealed a thick chain, which she raised up to her sights using her sword. A heavy black pendant shaped with a cross became visible.

Thane's eyebrows furrowed, "That looks like something you humans would call a Catholic Cross."

The human shook her head, "Not Catholic. It is a Templar Cross..."

But before she could finish, a bullet hit the floor by Thane's foot. He looked back to see lackeys of the turian carrying guns, trying to shoot at them. He sprinted, not looking back. The woman followed him, tucking the necklace back into her robes. They headed for the door, but as Thane pushed to it, it buzzed. It was locked.

"The door is locked!" Thane said, but as he looked behind him, he realized the girl was gone.

"Up here!" He heard her say, and he looked up to see that she was at a beam above him, holding out her hand to her. He took a step back and jumped, catching her hand, and she pulled him up.

"How fast can you climb?" The girl said as she walked along the beams, balancing on her feet. He followed her, "Fast enough." he said as he stopped beside her.

"Good, then follow me." She said, stepping on a small dent on the wall, and she started heading up the hole he had used, using her hands and feet to climb up the metal supports. He followed her, his strength in climbing matching hers. She pulled herself up the hole on the roof, the glass barely touching her, and extended her hand to him. He took it, but as he did, one of the lackey shot his shoulder, and he grunted in pain, and almost let go.

But the girl used both her hands to grasp him, and she pulled him up to the roof. He bent over in pain, as the girl looked at his shoulder, "I can't heal you here when they are shooting at us. I have a place we can hide in, but it's a little far off. Try and keep up."

He nodded, "Lead the way."

The girl nodded, before standing up and started jumping at the rooftops, her jumps timed perfectly, and landing on a roll before sprinting again. Thane followed her, but the wound was still hurting. Finally, with a pant, she stopped on top of a third floor rooftop, and looked down. Thane stood beside her.

"Where to?" He asked, and the woman smiled and pointed down, to a trash receptacle. Thane looked at her in disbelief, but she merely grinned and jumped, her arms spread wide in an eagle dive. Thane watched as she seemed to float downward in mid-air, before tucking her legs and twisting so that she landed on her back on the trash receptacle. She lay there for a while, grinning at him from below, before moving out of the way.

Thane seethed in pain, but he jumped, following her example, and he landed on his back like her. He grunted in pain, but he was able to stand. He made his way to her, and she pulled at his hand, running.

They looked behind them to see that the lackeys are running behind them, looking for them. But the woman pulled Thane to a dimly lit corner, and put a finger to his lips. She peeked at the corner, only to find that the men were now spreading out, checking each corner and alley. She cursed, and removed her cloak, putting in on a trash box beside her. Thane watched as she frantically pulled a pin off her hair, and cascading jet black hair fell down her face. She then put her hands on his face, and suddenly kissed him passionately.

Thane stiffened, but the woman stopped and whispered in his ear, "Kiss me like you mean it. My hair is hiding your face, but we have to make them think that they're disturbing something private."

He nodded, and he kissed her again, his arms going around her tightly, his hands touching her through her black cat suit. Her arms were wound around his neck, her lips playing with his, her tongue tasting him and he realized he was doing the same. The scent of flowers enveloped him and he watched her face they kissed. Her emerald green eyes were watching him, her nose taking in deep breaths of air in their frantic kissing. But her eyes narrowed to slits as they heard footsteps. She looked up at him, nodding, before closing her eyes and kissing him in earnest to fool the men.

The men rounded on their corner, and in an effort to make it look convincing, Thane put his hands on her rear, and she gasped. He ran his hand down her outer thigh, and he pulled her leg to him closer, their hips almost grinding into each other. The woman's breath became heavier, and she moaned. The small moan that escaped her pushed something in Thane's psyche, and he kissed her more roughly, his arm tightening even more around her.

"Whoops." One of the men said, "Erm... I don't think they went this way."

"Yeah!" The other one cheered at their carnal display, "Show her how you do it, man!"

"You idiot!" Said his companion, and he bonked him on the head with the fist, and the man doubled over in pain, "We have some assassins to find! You can find shit like this on the extranet later!"

The man then dragged his lecherous companion back to the road and they started running, leaving the two in their corner again. As soon as they had gone, the woman broke off, releasing his grip on him, and Thane let go of her leg and doubled over in pain of his wound. He had another kind of pain, going down the lower part of his abdomen, but he did his best to stop it.

The woman took her cloak again, and peeked in the corner as she put it on, zipping it up and covering her face with the hood again. "They're gone. Come on, we're close."

But Thane gasped in pain, his vision darkening, "I don't think I'll..."

The woman was beside him in an instant, and taking his good arm, started leading him up what seemed to be a flight of stairs. Thane had his head down, so he could see nothing. His vision was staring to darken, and as his companion opened a door, he surrendered himself to the darkness, and fainted.


	4. Chapter 3

Thane woke slowly, the pain on his shoulder lessening, but realized he was in an unfamiliar room. His back told him that he was lying on the floor, on a make shift bed, and as he placed his hand on his shoulder, he found that his wound was bandaged and that someone had taken off his leather jacket. He turned his head to the left to find his jacket and guns folded neatly beside what looked like a plate that held a thin burning stick. The thin smoke curled above, spreading the scent of flowers.

"It's called incense."

Thane turned his head to the right, and there he found the woman in a white cloak, sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back to him, her face raised towards the sunlit window. She still had her hood on, and a datapad lay beside her.

"Where am I?" Thane said as he sat up slowly.

"In an abandoned apartment near the Kenzo District." She said, remaining seated, "I attended to your wounds. You will be fine, it did not hit anything major."

Thane nodded, "Thank you. I am in your debt." He remained seated, raising his leg so that his elbow rested on it, and he rubbed his face. "But still, you owe me an explanation as to why you killed my target. What am I to explain to my agent if he learns that someone else had taken that turian's life?"

"You are an assassin like me. You can always lie." She said, "One of the things we must learn to do is how to make a lie believable. Tell your agent that we killed him together. It really shouldn't matter who killed him first. The point is that he is dead. And that you've fulfilled your contract, and mine as well."

Thane blinked. Perhaps in his pride as a well-sought assassin, he had forgotten that what she said is right. "Of course. I was not thinking." He looked up at her, "Who are you?"

"Should that matter?" The woman said, "We are both assassins, trained in different ways. Our identity is our greatest secret. I do not know your name, but I do know of your existence. Your philosophy. Your methods. And… your illness."

Thane scowled, "How can I trust someone who knows of me, but not of them?"

"You were trusting enough to kiss me." The woman said, shaking a little in silent laughter.

"That was different." Thane replied, "I was doing so to save myself and not get caught."

"Perhaps." The woman said, "Then maybe the only thing you should know about me is why I killed your target."

The woman turned to face him, her eyes hidden under her hood. "Your target was a turian who was inducted to the Order of the Templars. They have been enemies of my order since the dawn of time." She removed the necklace she got from the turian and laid it in front of him. "Templars are usually humans, but they have spread to other species as well. They are power-hungry, corrupt beings, wishing to create a 'perfect galaxy', but to do that they must use force to take control everything and everyone with their idealisms."

Thane raised an eyebrow, "A perfect galaxy? That is a foolish notion. It is our imperfections that make us unique. And nobody should forcefully shove their ideals to other people's minds."

She nodded, "My Order has a creed… 'Nothing is true. Everything is permitted'. It means that the foundations of our society is fragile, that we must be the ones to guide ourselves to our own path, and because of that, we must be responsible of our actions, and live with the consequences."

"That… is a good creed." Thane said.

"But the Templars do not believe that. They believe that in order to attain a perfect galaxy, everyone should adhere and follow their Templar rules, and those who do not deserve death." She shook her head, "Templars are less now than in our past, but still, many are fooled to follow them. Some Templars end up being evil men who would do anything for power, even at the price of killing innocents. My Order makes sure that these Templars do not acquire the power they need. I have killed many to prevent them from rising."

"And these people include?"

"Those who wish to become Citadel Councilors, or a leader of a certain species. Your Council is a very powerful position, but I am happy to say that our Order made sure that the people standing there are men of free will and thinking."

Thane smiled, "That is a wonderful accomplishment."

She smiled in return, "Thank you. Our turian target was a Templar, and he was using red sand to fund his goal of becoming a turian Councilor. Templars would do anything in their ability to attain power. He had to be stopped."

"My agent told me that he got somebody arrested, while tasked to be his courier."

She nodded again, "Another turian with an interest in politics, who had great ideas that would benefit his race and the other species. He was on his way to becoming a soldier, and he was such a brilliant soldier that had he continued, he would have been an Admiral in no time. But he was set up by our naughty friend."

"Then I am happy you were able to kill him. The galaxy is already a dark place full of dread. To add another creature who will try to control us all would be terrible."

She nodded again, and she inclined her head and looked at him. "And you? For one who is sick, you are still pretty active. I would prefer people like you to spend their lives in peace in a hospital or at home."

Thane scoffed, "I do not wish to be confined to a bed. I was not raised to be so. I keep my body moving to prevent my lungs from being inactive, and the Kepral's Syndrome from spreading." He looked up at the sunlit window, "I wish to make the galaxy a better place before I die. I make sure that my targets are the kind of people that would change our galaxy for the worse. And while I still draw breath, that is what I shall do."

The girl smiled, "That is a good way to end a life. I know that you pray for your soul once you've taken your victims." She shrugged, "I do not know if drell heaven is the same as humans, but if you really are lessening evil creatures in this galaxy, that I would believe that you are well on your way to redemption."

Thane smiled at her, "Thank you, I…" But suddenly, both their OmniTools sounded.

The woman nodded, "You can take the call here, I shall take mine outside." And she stood up, and headed to the door.

Thane pressed his OmniTool. "Yes?"

"Your target is dead. We have received the news." The deep voice said again, "But it would seem that somebody else did it."

Than frowned, "I met with the other assassin hired to kill him. We killed him together. I held him down while the other stabbed him. It should not matter who killed him. He is dead."

There was a silence at the end of the line, "Of course. Then I shall send you your payment for the assassination. In the meantime, you have a new assignment."

"What is it?"

"The warehouse where that turian was killed, it must be destroyed, and all occupants killed." The voice said, "That warehouse is being used as a hiding place for red sand. And all its occupants are users of the substance."

"I see." Thane said.

"Some occupants are innocent, but they are mainly there during the day time. You shall attack at midnight. Only the night shift guards and the red sand users are present at that time. I've been told that they had done something unforgivable to many female species during night fall. Your payment shall be sent to you once news is sighted."

"I understand."

The voice continued, "You will also be working with another assassin, Codenamed: Shiro. Do not try and find her. She will find you. Her agents are already contacting her as we speak."

_Shiro?_ Thane thought, _is that the woman with me?_

"Very well. I shall await this Shiro." And he ended the transmission.

"Thane Krios."

The hooded woman was back, after speaking to her agent. She smiled at him as she sat down in front of him again. "I finally know your name, drell assassin."

He laughed a little, "Shiro. It's a pleasure to finally know you in person."

She shook her head, "Shiro is the name I've adapted when I entered the Order. It means white. It is not my real name. But you may use it to call me if you wish."

He nodded, "I've been told that we have a contract together."

She nodded, "The warehouse we came from. But we have to attack at evening."

Thane nodded again and he slowly started to get up and he went to gather his jacket. He looked at it and realized that one sleeve was torn, while the one where the bullet hit was sewn. He frowned.

Shiro noticed his look and chuckled, "Sorry, I must've forgotten to sew that one. Give it to me."

Thane handed her his jacket, and Shiro stood up and opened a box on one corner of the room, taking out a book before getting a sewing kit. He reached down and took the book. "What is this?"

"It is a book I've had since I was a teenager." She said, removing a needle and a black sewing thread from her kit. "It's a book of poetry by Pablo Neruda."

Thane flipped through the pages, and raised an eyebrow. "This is… romance poetry?"

Shiro's cheeks flushed under her hood, but she preoccupied herself by shooting the thread through the needle, "I am quite fond of the genre."

Thane chuckled as he sat down in front of her, opening the book as she sewed. It was really quiet and peaceful, and Thane opened up the first chapter of the book. Shiro smiled and started sewing. Thane's jacket was made of leather, and she knew that she must stitch it well to prevent the tear being noticeable.

They sat quietly for an hour, with Thane reading and Shiro sewing, facing each other. The peace and tranquility made them relax, and soon Thane felt the pain on his shoulder disappearing.

He heard a small sound as Shiro finished sewing and was about to cut the thread. A small silver dagger emerged from a gauntlet on her left wrist, which she used to cut it. She flipped her wrist, and the dagger disappeared.

Thane took her arm and looked at the gauntlet, "That is an interesting weapon."

"It is called a Hidden Blade. My Order made it for me when I was inducted." She raised it up, her wrist facing Thane's gaze, and pulled a string that was connected to a ring on her finger. The dagger shot out, gleaming silver in the sunlight. She flicked her wrist again, and the dagger disappeared to an inner mechanism on her gauntlet. "My OmniTool has an Omni-blade, but I still prefer my dagger."

Thane smiled, "It is magnificent. I wish I had one."

Shiro laughed, "If you want one, I can induct you to the Order." She gave his jacket back and stored her needle and thread away. "Have you finished with my book?"

Thane nodded, "I skipped some parts, but it is a most interesting read. I did not know you were such a romantic." He chuckled, but his voice dropped, "Such beautiful verses. Are you interested in these?"

Shiro looked up at him and blinked, before smiling. "Yes. I love them."

Thane was silent, before turning to a page, " 'I love you as certain dark things are loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.' Such beauty in words. It is no wonder you love them."

Shiro nodded, "Yes. I've always loved poetry. Sometimes, words are enough to make you feel emotion."

Thane watched her, before smiling and leaning toward her, "I do remember one poem I've read…

Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,

And like enough thou know'st thy estimate,

The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;

My bonds in thee are all determinate.

For how do I hold thee but by thy granting?

And for that riches where is my deserving?

The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,

And so my patent back again is swerving.

Thy self thou gavest, thy own worth then not knowing,

Or me to whom thou gav'st it else mistaking;

So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,

Comes home again, on better judgement making.

Thus have I had thee, as a dream doth flatter,

In sleep a king, but waking no such matter.

Shiro stared at Thane, her mouth open in shock. And suddenly, she came forward, and kissed his lips. After a few seconds, she stopped and realized what she must've done, and she pulled back. "I'm sorry." She said shyly, her fingers to her lips, "I've… I have a weakness for men who recite poetry. And with your voice, I just…"

But Thane merely smiled and laid a hand on her face. She looked up at him as he pulled her hood away, revealing her almond shaped green eyes. Slowly, he lowered his lips to her before pulling back, "I must admit… that little stunt we pulled at the alley. It… made me…"

But Shiro raised a hand to his lips, and kissed him again. "I do not want to call it love yet." She said, "But that… stunt… made me yearn for you."

Thane chuckled, "As it did with me. You made me ache for you." He raised a hand and pulled her close, "You know my illness. And you know that I am dying."

Shiro looked sadly at Thane, before nodding.

"And I do not want any regrets." Thane continued, "After feeling you, kissing you… wanting you… I feel like I would regret it if I did not have you… just for a night."

Shiro nodded, "I feel the same way." And she closed the gap between them and melded their bodies together.


	5. Chapter 4

Thane woke slowly, hearing a voice singing in his ear. It was a beautiful song, an unknown language he didn't know, but it seemed to be a human language. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw Shiro. She was sitting by the window again, combing her hair. She was wearing her pants and her jacket, but it hung down her shoulders, revealing the skin on her back, meaning she was still unclothed on her body. She was singing, very softly, as if to herself. He stood up, and put on his pants, before sitting beside her.

"It is almost time." She said, as her song ended. She had her eyes closed as if she was in bliss, "We have thirty minutes to prepare."

He nodded. "Such a beautiful song you are singing. What language is it?"

"An Earth language called German." She said, as she stopped combing and began braiding her hair, "A man named Franz Schubert composed it. It is called "Ave Maria". It is… my prayer before I work."

Thane watched her, "I pray to my Gods as well, but I shall do that before we conduct the mission. What do the words you sing mean?"

"The verse I was singing... it's translated to 'Ave Maria! Stainless styled. Foul demons of the earth and air, from this their wonted haunt exiled, shall flee before thy presence fair. We bow us to our lot of care, beneath thy guidance reconciled; hear for a maid a maiden's prayer, and for a father hear a child! Ave Maria.'" She turned to his voice, but not quite opening her eyes yet. "In means that the evils of the world fear her, and that she may guide in everything I do, and that I ask for her protection in my mission."

Thane nodded, "I ask the same to my goddess, Kalahira. I ask her to make me swift and reach my target silently, while asking for her forgiveness."

Shiro opened up her eyes and smiled at him peacefully as she finished her braid, and tying it. She then rolls it up her head, before standing up, letting her cloak fall to the floor. Thane saw the smooth expanse of her back and arms as she put her arms into the sleeves of her suit. He stood behind her and embraced her, before reaching forward and zipping her suit. The scent of flowers enveloped him again, his face tickled by her hair.

"If I die…" Thane started, "I will… meet you across the sea."

But she smiled. "No matter how short your life seems to be, I believe that you have more to do in this life." She turned to face him, laying her hand on his face. "I will not let you die, Thane."

She kissed him lightly on the lips, and moved away to gather her cloak. Thane went back to their bed, and took his jacket, and put in on. But as he did just a moment ago, Shiro came up behind him and embraced him, her hand lying where his heart would be, before buckling up his suit for him. Thane grasped her hand as a thank you.

She separated from him and took her gauntlet, lacing them up together as Thane holstered his handgun to his hip, and his sniper rifle on his back. She had sheathed her sword to her own hip, and hid an assault rifle on her back under her cloak. She then took the datapad, and sat down, and Thane followed suit.

"The hole you have gone through is still there, but it's merely an extension. The real warehouse is over here, beside the building we infiltrated." Shiro said, pressing some buttons on the datapad, "But if we must clear it of anyone living, we must head for the front door, and make our way up. This area on the second floor is a good place to plant a bomb to destroy the warehouse. There is a place when jump from there, too. We can escape from there."

Thane nodded, and looked at his OmniTool, "We have fifteen minutes left. Are you ready?"

Shiro nodded and stood up, pulling her hood again so that it covered her face. She opened the door. They left the building together, walking towards the warehouse. Thane looked around and realized that they were near the place where Shiro had kissed him.

He smiled to himself, "If you let me live, perhaps we shall see each other again, Shiro."

He turned to look at her see her smiling under her hood, "Perhaps that is possible, Thane Krios."

He chuckled, and he reached out to take her hand, grasping it. Shiro noticed it, and she laced her fingers with his, squeezing it in comfort. They looked like a happy couple walking through the ward. It was at first, a disguise. But Thane could not help but be afraid for her safety during the mission.

He stopped when they reached the warehouse door, and Shiro followed suit. He looked down at her, "Forgive me, I must conduct my prayers before we continue."

She nodded, and put both of her hands on this, as he clasped them together in prayer. They leaned forward so their foreheads touched, and Thane realizes she was willing to pray with him. He bowed his head.

"Amonkira, lord of hunters. We ask that you give us the speed and accuracy we need for our mission. May our aim be true and our feet swift." Thane said, "Kalahira, goddess of inscrutable depths, we ask forgiveness for our actions today." He looked into her eyes as he said, "Goddess Arashu, I ask that you protect us from harm… so we may see each other another day in our lifetime."

She smiled under her cloak, and leaned forward to kiss him. He kissed her back, gently, but soon they pulled apart. She pulled out her gun, and Thane did the same, as they both faced the door.


	6. Chapter 5

Shiro hacked through the door's locks, and it opened. A group of thugs were sitting around a table, playing cards, and Shiro shot them down quickly. Her shots rang, and soon several mercenaries started coming at them.

Shiro pointed towards the support beams, and Thane understood her meaning. He jumped, and pulled himself up, and used his new perch as a way to snipe enemies that are coming in from the doors going up.

Meanwhile, Shiro charged, drawing out her Hidden Dagger and her OmniBlade, and made quick work of the mercenaries that were able to get close to her. She flipped and jumped around the soldiers in coordinated movement, and Thane smiled at her agility and grace. With Thane shooting from a distance, and Shiro killing with her two blades and her assault rifle, they made quick work of the thugs. Thane lowered himself from the rafters and pulled out his hand-gun as they made their way up to the second floor.

In the second floor were several tables, and that meant plenty of cover. Shiro made her way to the middle, and bent down, as Thane looked around, his rifle drawn.

She removed a small bomb from under her cloak, and began programming it with her OmniTool. A minute later, she stood, "This bomb is small, but it's enough to blow this place sky high. I've synced it with my OmniTool, it'll explode when I press the code in."

Thane nodded, and spotted a bunch of mercenaries coming up the stairs. He shot at them, hearing a grunt or two of pain, and he pulled at her. "Go!"

Thane and Shiro made their way to the stairs again, heading up the third floor, shooting as they ran. But as they headed up, a gunman came up in front of them, and fired a pistol. Shiro screamed in pain, a bullet piercing her shoulder, and Thane charged at the man. He punched his face and his chest, before grabbing the thug's head and snapping his neck. He pulled Shiro up and leaned her against the wall, "Are you alright?"

She was pale, but there was determination in her eyes. "Keep moving! Head up the support systems."

Thane nodded and pulled her with him towards one of the support beams. He jumped and pulled himself up, before reaching out his hand, pulling her up with him. Although she had a wounded shoulder, she was still pretty stable on her feet. They headed through the support beams and into a window, but it was locked. Thane used his biotics to break it, and pulled Shiro through the hole he had created.

As soon as they got on the rooftop, they stopped. A shuttle was floating in front of them, and as they watched, it open fired, and Thane had to pull Shiro to the safety of a pillar.

Shiro panted, the wound on her back bleeding, making her blood mix with the red design on her cloak. She looked up at him and said, "We… have to get out of here. I'll set the bomb, and then we jump."

Thane nodded, "Alright. Set it."

Shiro opened up her OmniTool, and pressed the timer. "Alright. It's set." She looked behind the pillar to see that the shuttle was still hovering. "I'll cover you. Jump down and get out of here."

Thane's eyebrows furrowed, "No. We'll jump together."

Shiro shook her head, "No. We need to take that shuttle down. Our agents told us to leave no survivors. Don't argue with me."

He saw the fierce determination on her eyes, and he nodded. "Alright. Be careful, Shiro."

She nodded, and pulled at his collar. Her lips found his, eagerly tasting him, her arms wound around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close, melding her body to his, her scent enveloping him again. He reminded himself to always use his eidetic memory to smell this flowery scent of hers.

Her lips left his, and she pulled out her assault rifle, and she bent down and shot at the shuttle. "Go!" She shouted, still shooting, and Thane ran to the side of the building, seeing a similar trash receptacle they had jumped in before. He looked back at her, and their gazes met. She nodded and smiled at him.

He swallowed, and nodded back, and she resumed her shooting. He spread his arms out wide as he jumped, falling in mid-air before turning his body, and he landed at the receptacle on his back. He looked up to see the shuttle losing its control, and crashing to the rooftop.

"Shiro!" Thane shouted, and after a minute, he saw her, standing on the edge of the roof. She still had her assault rifle, but there was blood coming out the side of her mouth. She looked down at him, and she smiled. He saw her lips move, saw the tear that dropped from her eye, before everything became bright and a great explosion rocked the building, fire spewing everywhere.

On instinct, Thane got out of the way as debris started falling, running as fast as he can out of the area. Chunks of metal and concrete flew everywhere, and he knew that no one could probably survive that. He turned to a dark corner, catching his breath, before looking back to see nothing had followed him. He closed his eyes, and remembered Shiro's lips, saying something he was not able to hear. He read her lips, and he opened his eyes as he gasped.

Shiro had whispered, "I love you."


	7. Chapter 6

Thane sat with a cup of tea in front of him, his hands on his chin. He had been dwelling on his memories for a bit. He had remembered his wife, Irikah, his son, Kolyat… and Shiro. It had been a month since his mission on Omega, and still Thane felt himself grieving for her. After he had lost his wife, he felt that he could never love another. But after meeting Shiro, he started to believe he could. She was strong, passionate and her devotion to her Creed was inspiring. But she was gone. It was like a hole had been bore into his soul, and though she first said that she doesn't know if it was love, Thane felt that it was. There was something about her that took his breath away. When he wasn't in his mission, he dwelled in his memories of Shiro. From that kiss in the alleyway, to their night before her death.

And now he was sitting in the Life Support Room of a ship called the Normandy.

After Shiro died, Thane was able to recover physically from his ordeal, however a few days after that, he was contacted by his agent to eliminate Nassana Dantius in Illium. As it turned out, Commander John Shepard of the Normandy was there with Nassana, hired by Cerberus to find the best people for a suicide mission he was about to do. He was one of the people Cerberus had chosen for Shepard. Thane felt pretty sure that had Shiro survived, she would have been there with him.

Thane also found out that what Shiro said was true: there were Templars around the galaxy, each trying to find their way to higher power. He had known this when he laid Nassana's hands on her chest. She had a Templar necklace under the neckline of her robes. He felt himself inflate with pride, and he had prayed to Kalahira that Shiro had seen what he had done.

"Thane." A voice behind him said, "Would you like to come with me?"

Thane looked behind him to see Commander John Shepard, captain of the Normandy. He was dressed for battle, with several guns strapped to his back. He took his pistol and sniper rifle and stood up, "You need me, Shepard?"

The two of them walked together and soon, a Turian named Garrus Vakarian, dressed in black and blue came up behind him. He nodded to Thane, who nodded in return.

"We'll be looking for an asari named Samara. She's a Justicar." Shepard said as they headed down the cargo hold to leave the Normandy. "Cerberus wants her to be part of our team."

"I have heard a lot about Justicars. Samara was one of the people I've read about. She will be a great addition to the team." Thane said.

"Cerberus said that she's here in Illium, investigating a murder." Shepard said, "I expect there will be trouble. I've heard that some people could get hurt from stopping a Justicar from fulfilling her Code."

Garrus chuckled behind him, "Good thing we'll cover you."

As the three of them left the cargo hold into the port, a human child was waiting for them. She looked a little shy as she stood in front of the three, and Shepard raised an eyebrow. He bent down and looked at the girl, "Do you need something, little lady?"

The girl looked down at her toes, shifting, before running in front of Thane. The drell looked at her and bent as Shepard has done, and the girl took a square box from behind her. She raised it up to Thane, who took it. "What's this, child?"

"I don't know. She just told me to give it to you." The girl said, blushing furiously before running off. The three of them watched her go, before disappearing into a crowd of people. Thane stood up.

He looked at the box, seeing a small card in an envelope. He pulled it out, but there was nothing written on the white card. He felt his eyebrows furrow as he turned the box over.

"What is it, Thane?" Shepard said, and Garrus stood beside the assassin to look at him. At the same time, something pinged on Thane's OmniTool.

"Shepard." Thane said, "Perhaps you can go on ahead. I do not know what the contents of this box. But as an assassin, I am wary. I will deal with this box, and then follow you when I am done."

The Commander nodded, and he and Garrus left. Thane walked towards a shipping crate on the docks and carefully placed the box on it. Thane opened his OmniTool and played the message. It was a song, a very familiar German song, which was sung by an unknown operatic woman. He looked down at his OmniTool in shock, and then down at the box.

Inside was a copy of a familiar looking book, a small plate with a miniscule hole, and several sticks of what Thane remembered to be 'incense'. He raised the sticks to his nose, and smelled them, only to find that it smelled just like flowers. The book, which he had remembered vividly, was the book of poetry he had read once.

Thane looked around frantically, trying to find the girl that gave him the box, and soon his gaze found a familiar white hood, standing several feet from him. The hood covered her eyes, but her smiling lips were familiar. She mouthed something, familiar words he had replayed over and over in his memories, and he found himself mouthing the same thing. She smiled, and nodded… walking backwards towards the shadows, where she disappeared from view.

He smiled to himself, the "Ave Maria" still playing on his OmniTool, still staring at the place where Shiro had stood. She was alive and well, as was he. Despite of the dangers of Shepard's mission, it gave Thane a spark of hope. He became more determined than ever to stay alive. For himself. For Kolyat. For Shiro.

And perhaps, he may meet her again.


End file.
